Flatland - (Penguin Classics) by Edwin A Abbott (Paperback)

About the Book

"A humorous examination with serious overtones of the concepts of space, time, and dimension"--

Book Synopsis

A "romance in many dimensions" that has fascinated generations of readers with its clever blend of social satire and mathematical theory

A Penguin Classic

A work that continues to pose provocative questions about perception and reality, Flatland is a brilliant parody of Victorian society where all existence is limited to length and breadth--its inhabitants unable even to imagine a third dimension. The amiable narrator, A Square, provides an overview of this fantastic world--its physics and metaphysics, its history, customs and religious beliefs. But when a strange visitor mysteriously appears and transports the incredulous Flatlander to the Land of Three Dimensions, his world view is forever shattered. Written more than a century ago, Flatland conceals within its brilliant parody of Victorian society speculations about the universe that resonate in Einstein's theory of relativity as well as the current "string-theory" of nature.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Review Quotes

"At once a classic of science fiction, a playful brainteaser about geometry, a pointed satire of Victorian manners--and, finally, a strangely compelling argument about reason, faith, and the greatest mysteries of the universe." --The Wall Street Journal

About the Author

Edwin A. Abbott (1838-1926) was a leading scholar and theologian of the Victorian era.

Alan Lightman (introduction), the author of Einstein's Dream and other books, is an astrophysicist and the director of the writing program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.